


Bloodwork and Atmosphere

by Chibichi



Category: Final Fantasy VII (Video Game 1997), Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-23
Updated: 2020-08-07
Packaged: 2021-03-03 23:22:10
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 12,723
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24883780
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Chibichi/pseuds/Chibichi
Summary: Amazing, you had been accepted into the organization you dreamed of... But, the problem is, your recruit mission deals with the Turks, and well, your run-ins with a particular red-head aren't pleasant... Tables are turned, and now who you thought you could trust is the enemy. When did life get so complicated?(Reno X Reader~)
Relationships: Reno (Compilation of FFVII)/Reader
Comments: 14
Kudos: 63





	1. Infiltration Encounters

**Author's Note:**

> I started this story about 13 years ago now. I've started revising the chapters again and decided to start posting here.  
> I have such a weakness for Reno, and there used to be so few fics of him I had to write my own.  
> Please note this was started way before FF7Remake was a thing, and follows events that happened in the original game and Advent Children.  
> The song lyrics in this are from Bring Me The Horizon's "Oh No". I thought it was quite fitting for the scenario, and the band is great so ;D!
> 
> I do not own Final Fantasy or the rights to the song.... Unfortunately.

Why, oh why, was it always the newbie who got the shitty, dangerous jobs? The life-threatening jobs that are nearly impossible for someone with novice status to achieve? Was it just a test of bravery, or a sort of initiation? Most likely just a thinning of the crowd, right? It definitely separated the strong from the weak. Hell if you knew, but you _were_ sort of ticked off about this whole ordeal. Seriously, of all the missions to receive, you got this one? You had quite the inkling that you wouldn’t make it out of this unscathed, which left you wondering what was the point of joining this company, anyway? 

It was a chance to prove yourself, which was all you wanted. You had skills and talent, and now you just had to find a way to put them to use. You had been determined to get into this organization and, well, if you didn’t succeed then you would just have to beg for another chance. 

You sent a glare up at your soon to be superior as you read over the assignment sheet. 

“This is absurd,” you protested, and she just smirked. 

“It’s your assignment. Deal with it. Don’t bother coming back if you don’t succeed,” was her blunt reply as she stuffed some papers in an envelope- no doubt it was a mission for another poor soul. “The way I see it,” she began as you turned to leave, pausing you in your tracks. “You should feel honored. That’s a mission we would give to someone with a _much_ higher ranking. Means we have faith in you, eh?” she finished, a grin before waving over the next recruit. You grit your teeth, hands tightening around the edges of the papers as you turned, storming off to go home. You had a lot of research to do, and you had the notion it was going to be a long night. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~ 

_Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap._

Your boots echoed off the pavement as you walked down the street, hands swinging lightly at your sides. You were off to a club, but it was not for recreational purposes. If it had been, you would have picked a much better place to spend your time. This particular place was part of your assignment. You were to search out a certain person with skills far outweighing your own. You were to deceive him, steal from him, and then break into the Shinra office. 

Ab-freaking-surd. 

Your target was a Turk; a tall, lanky man with fiery red hair, and a reputation for loving the ladies. Your research had uncovered that this Turk, Reno, spent most of his weekends at this particular club/bar. He would most likely be tipsy, if not drunk, and once you let on you were interested in him, he would be all over you. You also learned he would be alone, as his partner in crime had better taste (and probably manners) and refused to hang out at such an establishment. You had no chance in hell winning against a fully capable Turk, much less two, or all four in a worst-case scenario. So, this was your only chance and you hoped you wouldn’t have to buy this guy too many drinks to get him to make some bad decisions. 

You entered the club, clearing your throat as your lungs protested to the hot and smoky environment. The place was packed, which was a good thing. Your eyes slowly scanned the area as you headed for the bar, and that’s when you spotted your target. He was sitting at the far end of the bar, laughing and having a good time, a few women around him. His cheeks had a slight pink tint to them and you smirked since it looked like your wallet wouldn’t take too much of a hit to send him over the edge. You almost felt bad for having to deceive this man… Almost being the key word. Work was work and failure wasn’t in the agenda today. 

Not to mention, he’s a _Turk_. They had changed over the years, especially after the geostigma cure happened, but it was hard to erase what they and Shinra had done nearly a decade ago. It had been almost 8 years now since Avalanche put everything into motion and almost 6 years since geostigma had come to an end. The world was recovering, slowly but surely, and Shinra as a business had moved towards helping it all. You still weren’t sure exactly what all they had their hands in, but it didn’t matter to you. 

Once you found a seat near him you claimed it for yourself and ordered a drink, slipping the bartender enough to cover it and quite a few more. You wore knee-high boots, a navy blue skirt that was quite short at the moment, and a tight, white halter top. You were, after all, trying to attract attention, not go unnoticed. Plus, this outfit had dual duties tonight, because who has time for a uniform change? You could feel eyes on you as the skirt moved dangerously high as you sat in the chair, and it was no surprise that the Turk had picked up on your presence. You brought the glass to your lips, taking a long, slow, gulp, before setting it down, licking your lips. 

And that had him. 

The seat beside you was suddenly occupied by the red head, and he rested his elbow on the counter, a smirk upon his lips. “Haven’t seen you around here before, yo,” he grinned, winking. You raised an eyebrow as you watched him, his antics making you want to laugh but settled for a smile instead, “I figured it was high time to find a new hang out, and I’d heard good things about this place.” 

“Ah, well, you came on a great night, because there isn’t a party here if I’m not present, yo,” he gloated, and you laughed slightly. Ah, how full of himself he was. 

“Oh, really? I take that as an invitation to have some fun, then?” you questioned, turning more towards him, holding your hand out, “Dance?” 

His reply was an obvious yes, grabbing your hand as you slipped from your chair and leading you towards the dance floor where the swarm of hot, sweaty bodies moved. That’s when the real work began. 

You humored yourself and him for nearly two hours with dancing and drinking, managing to get him drunker than you supposed he wanted to be. That worked in your favor… The drunker, the better. Maybe your superior wasn’t joking at all about having ‘faith’ in you… This was going remarkably well. 

You had him back out on the dance floor again, and it was finally time to end this make-believe romance. You had a small syringe taped to the inside of your thigh that was filled with enough sedative to take him down, while giving you enough time to steal what you needed and make your getaway. The beat pulsed in your ears as you danced, hips shifting to and fro with the beat, the Turk’s hands firmly on your hips.   
  
_No we’re not on the level, you’re just off your face.  
It’s not a state mind, no, you’re head’s just a in state  
I may be on the outside, but you’re empty within  
It’s getting kind of old now, I think it’s time to pack it in…_

That was the one thing you were always consciously aware of. His grip was strong. They weren’t Turks for nothing, right? His strength was undeniable, even while inebriated, and here you were reducing him to nothing. You took a step back, teasingly grinding against him as your hand slipped beneath your skirt and grabbed the syringe, a smirk on your features as he playfully purred in your ear.   
  
_Don’t call it a party, ‘cause it never stops  
Now one is too many but it’s never enough_

You felt a hand on your thigh shortly after yours disappeared with your weapon of choice, just below where your skirt ended, and you blinked, face turning to the side towards your dancing partner. What was he- 

You faltered in your dancing as his hand began to move around, over the top of your thigh, and to unexplored territory. 

So that’s what he was up to… 

You quickly intercepted his hand with your free one, turning in his hold to face him, raising a brow. “Ah ah ah,” you said in his ear, before leaning back, winking at him. You two still moved with the beat as your wrapped an arm around his neck, leaning up, and pressing a kiss against his lips. His tongue quickly pressed for entrance, and you granted it, playing his little game as you readied the needle.   
  
_Don’t tell me I’m happy, ‘cause this isn’t love.  
So be careful what you wish for…_

Simultaneously you bit down on his tongue and stuck his side with the needle, injecting the sedative. He emitted what seemed like a growl, pulling away, and you looked back up at him innocently, licking your lips as the needle slipped from your hand to the floor. You mouthed an apology as your eyes met his, which were a mix of confusion and anger.   
  
_Don’t call it a party, ‘cause it never stops_

The sedative was fast acting, and the Turk’s mind was already becoming foggy from what you could tell by the look on his face.   
  
_Now one is too many but it’s never enough_

You spun on your heel and moved quickly through the crowd, grabbing his jacket from the back of his vacant seat and leaving through the nearest doorway.   
  
_Don’t tell me I’m happy, ‘cause this isn’t love.  
So be careful what you wish for…_

Outside the bar you shrugged on his suit jacket, blinking at how huge it was on you. It had to be the broad shoulders. You could attest that under those clothes it wasn’t all skin and bones as one might assume with how tall and lanky he was… and with that you had to reel your wandering mind back in. No time to be daydreaming about the man you just seduced, drugged and stole from. Your hands slipped into the pockets, and you grinned, finding his wallet. Pulling it out you opened it, looking over the contents and sighed with relief once you spotted his Shinra I.D. “Perfect,” you said to yourself, pulling it from his wallet and sticking it in the breast pocket as you placed his wallet back in the original pocket. A shout from behind had you freezing in your tracks. 

What the hell?! How was he even standing?! This Reno had more resistance to alcohol and sedatives than you thought. This was a disappointment, too, because you had been so precise in your calculations of what would work. 

You didn’t chance looking back at him and instead took off like lightning, running down the side walk and taking a sudden turn around a corner. You had to make it to Shinra tonight, because as soon as anyone found out what you had taken the systems would be reprogrammed and you would be shit out of luck. Your legs knew these streets, and they carried you fast through the darkened city. Reno had been on your tail, but stopped soon after the pursuit began. The sedative had not completely worn off yet so he was calling for back up, unbeknownst to you. 

You made it to Shinra in one piece, breath labored and heart pounding. The building was only about four years old and still considered to be in town, but in an area close to the outskirts. In short, it was a fucking long trek on foot. Thinking it over, maybe you should have secured some sort of bike you could have ditched to get you here quicker... But what was done, was done. You worked to calm your breathing as you quickly pulled your hair back into a bun at the base of your neck and tugged at your skirt to pulled it down. It was no longer a mini skirt meant for the club. Now, it was business attire that was common at Shrina; knee length navy blue skirt, white shirt, and a jacket. Hopefully, this late at night, no one would notice how the jacket hung on your and that you really didn’t belong there. Surely there weren’t many women who wore halter tops under their suits… 

Moving to the rear of the building you entered the fire escape door, moving up the stairs. What floor had the paper said? Ah yes, the fifth. You stopped at the door and composed yourself while you brought the ID out to scan. Unconsciously you held your breath until it beeped and the door unlocked. Thank goodness... You half expected the Turk to have called in the incident. Strange that he hadn’t... Or maybe he just didn’t want to out his poor decision-making skills. You couldn’t imagine what kind of punishment he’d receive for this... 

The hallway was brightly lit with your standard office style fluorescent lights. It was clear that no expense had been too much in the construction of the new building. It was sleek, new, and very industrial. In other words, it was not very welcoming. You stayed stealthy, moving through the corridors unnoticed. Left, right, straight, left, right, halfway down the hall and… The door was locked upon the first try to enter. You cursed under your breath, glancing down the hallway to check for anyone coming. It was then your eyes passed over the I.D. badge scanner. Of course, all the rooms would require access, it was Shinra after all. You swiped it, waited for the beep to indicate you were cleared, and entered the room. 

It was dark inside, and you didn’t want to turn on the light but there was no other choice. There hadn’t been room to pack a flash light in the minimal amount of clothing you had to wear. With a soft click the lights flickered on, and you squinted as your eyes adjusted. It was a small office and on a table in front of you was a messy pile of folders. Apparently, one of them was yours. For some reason Shinra Company had a file on you, but you didn’t have the slightest clue why. When you first read your assignment packet you thought it had been a joke. They seriously expected you to believe that Shinra had a whole file on you? Little old you, who never got in trouble, abided the law, and generally went unnoticed by everyone? Psh, yeah right. 

Moving to the desk, you sat down, quickly picking up a stack of files and flipping through them. Work orders, daily consumption reports, blah blah blah… You were seriously starting to think it was a joke, and your “supervisor” was going to get a big kick of the lengths you went through to get in here. You froze, hearing commotion out in the hall and cursed under your breath. That wasn’t good… 

Picking up the pace you pushed files off the desk until your eyes landed on your name on the outside of a folder. Holy shit, it was real... This wasn’t a joke at all, they legit had a folder about you... As much as you would have liked to sit down and read it, there was no time. You folded the file and slipped it in the inner pocket of the suit jacket as you stood, moving quietly towards the door. You turned off the lights and stood at the door listening intently for any noises in the hall. It was quiet so you deemed it safe. Slowly you opened the door, peaking through the crack before stepping out and closing the door quietly behind you. 

You had to get out, and get out now. You retraced your steps back through the halls, keeping your head down and avoiding eye contact with anyone that you passed. No one gave you a second look. What luck, right? A quick glance down the hall showed it clear and you turned, steps quickening towards the fire escape door. Your hand twisted the knob and started to pull the door open, but another hand came out of nowhere, slamming it shut. The noise was loud in your ears causing them to ring and you to flinch, a gasp escaping. 

“That’s a nice little stunt you pulled back there, babe…” a smooth voice whispered into your ear. Your eyes went wide as your blood ran cold. Fuck. Your heart began to race and you didn’t move, hand still gripping the doorknob. 

“R-Reno…” you murmured, hearing a smirk behind you, confirming your allegation.


	2. Promotion and Demotion

”You should let me go,” you managed to whisper, mustering up all the courage you had left to try and confront this Turk. You should have expected this. Things had been going _too_ well. Maybe he was still a bit drunk? You hoped so, at least… 

”I should just let you _go_ , hmm?” he replied, a smirk playing upon his lips. He caught you, so what in the hell made you think he would just let you go? “Sorry, dear, that’s not gonna happen. You possess some very confidential information in that jacket.” 

Fuck, how did he know? 

Gritting your teeth, your eyes looked to your hand that gripped the knob to the stairwell tightly. If you could distract him enough to just get through the door… It would be your one and only chance. Slowly you turned around to face the red headed battle machine. He did have that weak spot for women, right? You bit your lip seductively as you attempted to pull out all the stops now. 

”But it’s my file… I was just curious why you had one on me, and what it said,” you informed, looking away as a deep sigh caused your chest to press against the confines of the halter top, drawing attention down to your cleavage. “Curiosity, you know?” you added, looking back up to him through your lashes. 

You could sense a slight falter in his defenses due to your antics, and he just smirked, a slight shake of his head. “It’s not nice, what you did… And as they say, curiosity killed the cat, yo,” he replied. You took that chance to quickly raise your leg and managed to hit him in a very unpleasant spot. The red headed Turk let out a cry of agony and surprise at the sudden pain in his precious goods, and you took that moment to shove him back, pull open the door and dart through. 

You didn’t dare look behind you as you moved down the stairs at a speed you didn’t know you were capable of. Flight after flight until you reached the exit. You vaguely recalled Reno’s voice shouting down at you after the first two flights, but you ignored it. You had to get out. You had to get away. You had what you came for, but it meant nothing if you didn’t deliver it. 

Bursting out of the fire escape door your feet kept going. You heard shouts behind you; most likely guards wanting to question your sudden appearance (or, you know, maybe the alarm had been sounded that you stole shit), but you ignored them and kept running. Gunfire was heard and bullets whizzed past you, followed by more shouting (which you didn’t recognize but it was very clearly Reno yelling at them to not fucking kill you).You darted into an alley, tears springing to your eyes as you begged your limbs to move faster. Your mission was complete; all that was left was to get away… But hell! These people had firearms and you had… 

Reno’s jacket. A lot of fucking good that did you. Your only chance was to run, and run as fast as you could. You knew these streets, and these alleys, you could get through to your destination… Ironically it wasn’t that far away… 

You zoned in, focusing on the task at hand, and pushed back the fear that had consumed your heart momentarily. Some soldiers were definitely following you, but they were behind. You were taking turns here and there, sticking close to buildings. You heard the familiar sound of a helicopter as well, but were confident in your ability to hide. Besides, those things were always out, right? You were thankful for wearing boots as well, because you couldn’t have done this in heels, no way. 

Twists, turns, sliding, running, sneaking, darting… You finally made it to the doors of your current employment and shaking fingers pressed in the access code. You burst through the door, making such a scene as you stumbled in and fell to your knees. A few people that were around looked at each other, and there were murmurs to call the lady in charge of the recruits; also known as the “superior” that gave you the mission. Since everyone else seemed to be on top of it, you didn’t even bother getting up. You stayed on the floor hunched over, resting your head on the cool tile as you composed yourself. Your muscles were aching now, the adrenaline that had gotten you safely away was slipping away and it left you feeling completely drained. 

“Excuse me,” a curt voice said, clearing her throat, “You could at least have the decency to get up off the floor...” Your eyebrows furrowed as you slowly sat up, taking a deep breath. Man, you were spent. Shifting from your position on the floor you moved to get up, and it turned out to be a harder task than you expected. Honestly, you hadn’t run that fast and that far in quite a while, if ever. 

Once standing, you dug the crumpled folder out of the inside pocket of the jacket and handed it to your supervisor. She rose a brow as she unfolded t and you leaned against the wall, wincing slightly. “My papers… Just like you asked,” you informed with a smug smirk. She looked impressed that you had completed the mission in one night, and came back without a scratch. 

”Well done, well done,” the woman praised as she quickly verified the contents, flashing a small smile at you as she turned, motioning for you to follow. “Come along and we’ll set up everything to change your rank.” 

You felt a wave of relief wash over your tired form, and nodded as you slowly pushed away from the wall to follow. It was a few floors down and the office was quite bare with not one single personal item. That came with the occupation, though. If people knew your family, friends, and loved ones it would be the first thing used against you. Better to seem like a heartless bitch than risk the lives of the ones you cared about. 

Paperwork was signed, things were explained, yadda yadda yadda… The specifics of your employment were gone over in detail, and after a little over an hour you were glad to finally be released. You paused before exiting your superior’s office. “One last question,” you said as you turned, eyebrows furrowed. Now that your mind had calmed, it finally came back to bug you about one little thing... “Can I read my file, from Shinra?” you asked, a frown tugging at your lips. Just what was in there, anyway? Without even looking your way she responded with a curt, “No,” that let you know it wasn't’ up for discussion. Your frown fully appeared then and you exited the office. This was going to bother you for awhile... 

You were beyond exhausted as you took the bun out of your hair that was quite frankly giving you a headache. The next thing on your agenda was home, bath, and then bed for the next however many hours. At the front doors again, you bid your new co-workers goodnight and exited into the dark city with a proud (but slightly sore) strut. It was very late, after midnight now, so the streets were pretty deserted. 

Just your luck, though, it was starting to rain… 

With a heavy sigh you pulled the jacket that belonged to the red-headed Turk tightly around you and took a left to start heading back to your apartment. You yawned as you passed the first block, rubbing your eyes at the second, and stopped at the third. 

You were being followed. 

You could hear your heartbeat start to drum at a faster pace in your ears and you kicked yourself mentally. You should’ve been more careful, and honestly, should have just spent the night at HQ. You hadn’t driven to this assignment (you didn’t want to chance your car being noticed) and this late you hadn’t even thought about calling a cab. You were in no condition to fight, and fleeing the scene, well… it would be hard. You had pushed yourself to the max getting away tonight, and now… Damnit, you were still young, your body couldn’t fail you now. 

The rain became heavier as you started walking again, pace a bit faster than before, and that’s when your heard the footsteps. It was a lot harder to be stealthy in the rain. It was turning into a downpour at that point, making things all the more complicated. 

”Dammit!” you whispered, and with that, you took off. Your body protested to the movement and it made you wince in agony. You could tell this wasn’t going to have a pleasant outcome, whether you got away or not. Passing another block, you could hear the footsteps gaining on you and you took a quick turn into an alley. There was construction up ahead, and this was your best chance to lose your pursuers in the mess. 

Your eyebrows furrowed when you noticed a good sized brick wall blocking your way. It wasn’t insanely tall… And maybe if you used the side of that building as leverage you could make it over… 

Skidding to a stop, you turned to glance back at the people giving chase, eyes narrowed. 

”It ends here, yo…” Reno called, and you damned whatever gods were toying with you tonight. You didn’t give a response as your body shifted, and you took off. Jumping up your feet landed on the side of the tall business building and your legs pushed off, albeit reluctantly, and the top of the wall was in sight, you were almost free, but… 

There was always a but… 

A loud metal _shing_ alerted your ears and instantly afterwards your legs hit something hard and cold. Your body’s equilibrium was instantly thrown off as your torso urged to go forward but your feet intended to go down. You let out a cry as the top of the wall disappeared and you were sent straight to the ground. You attempted to keep your head from hitting the pavement, but it did despite your efforts. 

The construction zone had been a nice idea for foot placement in the chase to get away, but to fall on it? The initial hit was hard and it left you seeing stars as you tumbled farther down the slope of gravel, bricks, and mud. You groaned, a hand going to your forehead, feeling the mixture of cold rain and warm blood. Elbows and knees were bruised, scratched, and bleeding as well. Fuck. Your muscles burned, everything hurt, and you couldn’t tell if you were successfully trying to get up or if the world was spinning. The sound of feet hitting the wet earth drew your attention to the right and your eyes traveled up the Turk that loomed above you. 

The metal sound you heard came from his weapon, which was outstretched at you, and he moved forward, pressing the icy metal tip against your chest. 

”I’m sorry, babe…” he informed, waterlogged hair clinging to his face and a sort of sad smile washing over his features. Realization hit you then as you remembered his weapon’s other feature. It had all been spelled out in your assignment packet, how could you have forgotten? Your eyes went wide in panic as you tried to scramble back, but it was too late. 

A jolt of electricity ran through your body, your scream echoing in this empty alley in Edge, and all went black for you.


	3. Big Mouth; Secret's Out

The first thing you realized as you started to come to was the fact that you were in a bright place and it was warm. Your clothes weren’t cold and wet but your whole body seemed to ache. What alerted you the most, though, was how incredibly dry your mouth was. That was the first thing to tend to on your priority list, after finding out where the hell you were. 

You let your eyes flutter open, wincing at the light before beginning to shift to sit up. You didn’t get far, though, as your hands were restricted and it prevented you from going anywhere. Your eyebrows furrowed, body going rigid as you moved your hands again and heard a rattle. What the… 

Were you handcuffed to the fucking bed? 

You forced your eyes open fully, squinting at the light and how blurry your surroundings were. The room was mostly white and a large window to the right is what was letting in the blinding sunlight. A figure was approaching and you tried to warn this person to stay back, but nothing came out, your throat too dry at the moment. The figure turned out to be a blond woman, and the room seemed much like a hospital room. Your eyes darted from her, to the machine by your bed that beeped softly monitoring your heart. This had you looking down at your hands, which were, in fact, handcuffed to the bed with an IV in your arm. You met the woman’s gaze with a glare, trying to speak again but to no avail. 

The woman gave a small smile for comfort, and hushed you softly. She turned to the table nearby, grabbing a cup with a straw in it as she pushed the button on the bed to raise the head up so that you were no longer lying flat. She held the cup near your mouth for you to take a drink. You instinctively tried to grab for it, only to be reminded of those restraints and frowned before taking a nice, long gulp. 

The cool water felt wonderful on your parched throat, and after a few more gulps you leaned back, letting her know you were done. You refused to speak first, and at the moment she didn’t seem inclined to let on to any information, so it was a slightly… awkward silence as you looked around the room, your vision finally clear. 

It was, indeed, a hospital room. There was a sink and bathroom to your left, a television on the wall straight ahead with some cabinetry, a sort of couch under the window, and then a chair that this woman took a seat in on the other side of the nightstand. She wore a blue outfit that you recognized, and your eyebrows furrowed. Another Turk? Were you being watched… Patrolled? 

It hit you then, flashbacks of your mission, of your success, and then your unfortunate failure. 

Damn that red headed Turk! 

”You should relax, miss. You’re going quite pale,” the woman said, looking at you with an even stare. She wasn’t letting on to anything. However, you could feel that she was telling the truth as your head swam for a moment, stomach threatening to dispose of the small amount of water you just drank… There was no way you could get sick now. There was nowhere _to_ get sick, except all over yourself. Your eyes fluttered closed as you mulled over the events that led up to your current predicament. Were you going to be punished by Shinra? What about the organization you had just been initiated into? You had worked so hard to get in, would they come for a rescue mission? After all… You had outsmarted a Turk, not once but twice! 

He sure did get even, though… 

Snapping back to the present you searched your memory for this woman’s name. She was a Turk, obviously, and there were four of them. “It’s Elena, right?” you questioned, voice cracking as you opened your eyes and the woman looked over and nodded. 

“You’ve done your homework,” the blonde replied, turning towards the door as there was a soft knock. The person did not wait for a reply and opened the door, stepping in. This person seemed to be a Turk as well, dressed in the same blue but with an aura that demanded more authority. The seriousness on his face told you he didn’t mess around and that he got straight down to business. Thank the heavens you didn’t have to try and outsmart him for your mission, that would never have worked. It looked like this guy hadn’t gone out to party ever in his life. 

”She’s awake, Tseng,” Elena said, voice low as she stood and walked towards the man. Your eyes shifted between the two, a slight frown tugging at the corners of your mouth. In your research prior to your mission, it was clear that the Turk named Tseng was the one you never wanted to encounter. And yet here he was in all his Turk-ish glory. He nodded politely, intense eyes landing on you. If you had more strength you would have probably cowered under the covers like a child. Your hands were tied, literally, so you took the stand of being the quiet, unresponsive one and just returned the gaze, unmoving. 

”What possessed you to steal that file?” he asked plainly, and your eyebrows furrowed again. So this is how it was going to go? You were a prisoner, weren’t you? 

”It-“ your voice cracked, and you coughed, clearing your throat, “It was my assignment,” you responded, still hanging on to the ‘I’m so unfazed’ approach. “I’m sure you understand,” you added, raising your wrists slightly, the jingle indicating to him that you were an assignment to them, in a sense. 

The Turk’s eyes narrowed in your direction, but he nodded. Opening his mouth to ask another question, Elena interrupted, “Tseng, she’s just come to. I think interrogations should wait-“ 

”Those documents were confidential Shinra property. I believe our little criminal does not understand the severity of her actions,” he sternly replied, and you couldn’t help but feel like a misbehaving teenager being scolded by a father. 

”Oi, oi, loud voices in the patient’s room! Thought she was still out of it, yo,” came the familiar voice of Reno, and your eyes instantly narrowed. There was the current target of all the anger you held. He got you into this situation (actually you got yourself into this situation, but still….). Why couldn’t he have been a normal drunk? 

”Out, Reno. She has questions to answer,” Tseng quickly responded, hoping to deter his coworker from staying, and the red head’s face drooped slightly. Tseng was always so serious and it seemed like it wasn’t just around you. 

“Hey, man, give her a break…” Reno replied, ignoring the order to leave, “She deserves some explanations as well, doesn’t she?” 

Tseng shook his head. “The President wants her answers first. We can explain la-“ 

”Come on! She doesn’t even know what she is! Not like she had time to read the file, y’know.” 

”Reno!” Tseng and Elena said in unison. 

This conversation went from aggravating to weird in an instant, and you were pretty sure you had quite the “what the fuck?” look on your face. What you _were_? 

”I think I can confirm that I’m human,” you jutted in, and all eyes turned to you, causing you to shrink back into your pillows slightly, “What kind of fucked up thing is that to say about someone, anyway?” 

Reno turned, an “Oh shit,” tumbling from his lips as he ran a hand down his face while Tseng sighed and pinched the bridge of nose and Elena glared at the red headed blabber-mouth. 

”Seriously, that’s fucked up,” you repeated, completely confused by the statement being referenced. 

”Well… You aren’t an alien if that helps clarify-“ 

”Reno!” Tseng and Elena scolded him again simultaneously. You had an inkling this might be a common occurrence in Turk Headquarters... 

”What?! It’s the truth!” the lanky Turk replied as he held up his hands in defense while taking a step back. Tseng turned from your direction, speaking into a microphone attached to his suit, and the room became quiet. 

Your nerves were on end now. What was this idiot blabbering about? What you _were_ … Plus, everyone seemed to know what was going on except you, and everything had to do with you. That just made it all the more frustrating. You were on the verge of asking a question to break the silence when the door to your room opened yet again, and in walked the final Turk you hadn’t yet had the pleasure of meeting and… 

”Mr. President…” the Turks all greeted in unison. 

Your mouth slacked open in shock. Fuck.


	4. One and Only

So the president of Shinra company, who you had stolen from the night before… er, day…? Shit, how long had you been out….? Whatever the case…. He was there to address _you_ personally. 

This wasn’t good. 

To say you were alarmed was the understatement of the century. If it wasn’t a serious matter, there’s no way he would visit you in such a place…. Speaking of, there was no way this could be a regular hospital, not with all the Turks and him there. So just where were you? 

That was a question that would have to be answered later. If you survived, that is. With all four Turks here, there was no escaping. Whatever punishment this man said you were getting, you were definitely receiving… 

You forced down a gulp as Elena pulled the chair over to your bedside and the President took a seat, steely blue eyes meeting your own. Your mouth was suddenly dry again. 

”Do you remember your father?” he simply asked, and you were a bit perplexed at the question. What the hell did he have to do with anything? “Yes, vaguely, but-“ 

”Do you know where he worked Miss __l/n__?” 

This had your eyebrows furrowing. You were very confused. Shouldn’t he be ripping you to shreds about your little stunt? Why was he questioning you about your father? He had passed so many years ago, when you were very young, so to be asked about him was just strange. He had worked a lot, and was away from home more often than not. You shook your head in answer, because honestly you couldn’t remember. 

The blonde haired man at your bedside nodded, as if he expected such an answer, his gaze unwavering. ”He worked for my father,” the President informed you, and your mouth fell open slightly as your head tilted, giving this man an incredulous look. Bullshit. You opened your mouth to say such, but didn’t get the chance. 

”He worked for Shinra, and was very dedicated. He made a lot of advances under our funding, and towards the end of his career he proceeded with some research that wasn’t fully…. Understood before it was implemented,” Rufus continued, and you remained silent, confusion on your features. What was he getting at? 

“He began a process of human trials for a particular line of research, and you were the test subject,” he explained, pausing to let the information sink in for you. Reno seemed to shift uncomfortably in the background, the other Turks looking away as a heavy silence settled over the room for a brief moment. 

Slowly you shook your head, mind trying to process what was being said and failing miserably. “I’m sorry sir… Mr. President… You realize this just sounds absurd? Is this some sort of sick joke? I mean-“ 

”Did your father ever talk about your mother to you, Miss __l/n__?” Rufus questioned, cutting off your rant regarding how illogical this all was. 

”Some, of course, but honestly what does this have to do with anything?” you responded, confusion slowly turning to aggravation. 

The president gave a heavy sigh, rubbing his temple briefly before resuming eye contact. “I’m afraid this won’t be a very pleasant conversation,” he replied, and your lips pursed. You weren’t sure what conversation he had been a part of up until now, but the whole damn thing had been unpleasant, so how could it get any worse? 

”Your father is not your biological father. As I said before, he was very dedicated to his work. The advances he made were miraculous, and the next step was human trials. Your mother was a friend of his who had gotten pregnant by a man who left her on the street. She was homeless at the time, and she was going to terminate the pregnancy until your father convinced her to dedicate you to science. From the very early stages new cells were injected into your body in utero. This continued until she was full term and it was the perfect pregnancy. You grew as expected; no side effects. However, there were complications at birth and your mother lost her life in the process. Your father took you in to care for as his own so he could monitor and continue his work.” 

You couldn’t hold the President’s gaze any longer, looking away at the other side of the room where, thankfully, no one else stood. You wanted to lash out, call this a conspiracy theory and yell at this man that he was the crazy one, and that this was a stupid science fiction story he was making up. But… as wild as it sounded, it seemed to fill in all the gaps of your childhood that you couldn’t quite figure out. The fact that there were no pictures at all of your mother anywhere, you never visited or knew any of her family or his family, and then all the hospital visits, the medicine, the shots… Your eyes started to sting but you refused to cry, shaking your head slightly to compose yourself as you unconsciously gripped the sheets of the bed so tight your knuckles were white. 

”It seems you’ve matured just fine after your father passed in his lab incident,” Rufus continued, breaking the silence that was starting to hang in the air. It drew your attention back to him, and even though you didn’t want to listen, you had to know. “Nothing seems to be out of the ordinary, considering you haven’t had any treatments since then. The files you stole were what we had left of your medical records. Most of the files were destroyed in the lab explosion, and others were lost about 8 years ago when everything happened. We’ve gathered what we could and have kept it all in case we ever needed to… Find you. They are mostly observations about your conditions after treatments, because the files containing the information about the trials were lost, meaning we’re not sure exactly what types of injections your father did. 

”Your involvement with that organization is what prompted us to pull your file out of the archives, and somehow they had some insight to that which we are investigating. They were obviously going to use you to their own advantage. With the proper training and medicine regime, you would turn into the perfect fighting machine. A somehow unstoppable killing machine, which is why your father began trials at the embryo stage…” Rufus had continued on while you just sat there silently, trying to digest the information. 

How could this be true? Yes, your childhood had been very medical heavy, but this… 

”You had the geostigma, didn’t you?” 

This statement brought you out of your thoughts and your attention back to the Shinra President. Your eyebrows furrowed and the atmosphere in the room seemed to darken. How did he know? You had kept to yourself when you saw the first signs of it. It had spread more than you had seen on others, and the clinic had told you that your case was becoming too severe for them to help anymore. Your fiancé at the time ended up leaving, and being alone through it the rest of it had you in such a dark place. Not many knew how severe it had gotten, and if the cure hadn’t come when it did, you wouldn’t be sitting here… 

”I think she’s heard enough, boss…” the red head spoke up, taking a step forward. 

This snapped you out of the shadowed past you were lurking in and you took a deep breath as if you had been holding it. Your hands released the blankets that had been in a death grip, the hand cuffs rattling as you moved. The tears were so close. 

Rufus Shinra nodded and stood, brushing out the wrinkles in his white slacks as he called for Elena. “Remove those. Once her injuries are stable, we’ll need to have her moved into the living quarters. I believe Reno has a spare room?” 

”Wait, what?” Reno suddenly pipped up, completely thrown off by these directions. You weren’t even paying attention as Elena unlocked the hand cuffs and you were finally able to rub at your wrists, eyes roaming over the soft red indents. 

”You’re not home much, anyway. There are no empty suites, and yours is situated in the middle of the building, which means it’s the safest spot for her,” Rufus replied, leaving no room for argument. He turned his attention to you, causing you to look up and force some of the haze from your mind that was now full of information. “I hope you understand that you’ll no longer be able to live at your home. We will need you under Shinra surveillance as we look into what that organization had in mind for you. Even then... It won’t be safe for you out there alone,” he explained, then promptly left the room. Tseng paused slightly before following suit and Elena was close behind. Rude adjusted his glasses, clearing his throat slightly. “Reno…” he simply said as a ‘leave her be’ kind of statement. 

Reno felt slightly torn. Yes, he didn’t know you well, but to have all that information dumped in your lap, he couldn’t even imagine how you felt. His eyes traveled to your form, a slight frown. You were still rubbing at your wrists, looking at them, but not really. He could tell you were lost in thought. He shifted his weight from one foot to the other before deciding to speak. 

”It won’t be so bad, yo, living under our protection,” he stated, a meager attempt at comforting you. 

Your eyes shot up to meet his, hard and intense. Pain, fear, sadness, worry, it all swirled in your __color__ eyes. “Just… Go away…” you said, voice wavering slightly. You were trying so hard to keep it together. 

Reno looked away and down towards his feet before nodding. He understood. Silently he turned, slipping out of the room and closing the door softly behind him. He didn’t leave, though. He stood there with his back against the cool metal door, his eyes closing when he heard your sobs. He couldn’t fathom your loneliness at that moment, to learn that the family you thought you had was all a façade and in the end you were just a science experiment... 

He steeled his features as he pushed away from the door to head down the hall. They still had work to do, after all…


	5. Alone Once Again

Your body healed quickly (it always had and now you wondered if you had your _father_ to thank for it), but it had taken a few extra days for your mind to cope with everything. The fall had given you a slight concussion, so it had been the perfect cover for your extended stay. You weren’t ready to go “home” with the Turks. No, you wanted to go to your real home with all of your own things. You wanted to hole yourself up in _your_ room and stay in _your_ bed for days while binge watching television. Instead, you were being discharged and forced to some strange apartment with nothing to your name. 

Leaving did mean you were able to figure out where you were. It was actually a Shinra building a bit farther away from the Shinra office, and was a mixture of a hospital and laboratory. The company didn’t do research like they used to, of course, but after the geostigma outbreak they made sure they had scientists on hand to stay one step ahead of the game should anything happen again. Between research, they were responsible for some of the drug distribution to medical facilities around Edge for standard antibiotics and such. Again, they were making an effort to make up for all their wrong doings of the past, and this was definitely a plus. 

According to Mr. Shinra, your file had information about the effects that your… “treatments” for lack of a better word, had on your body. However, there was nothing in regards to exactly what you were injected with, how much, and how often. That was the mystery, the missing key. So, although your previous employer had your file, they didn’t have the details. 

That was why you were now under Shrina’s protection and not able to go home. Their guess was that upon discovering that your file lacked the information needed, you would have been instantly taken underground and experimented on. Shinra knew their intentions were to reproduce the trials you went through and create their ideal and perfect army as rivals to the Turks. Since your file didn’t have the specifics, you were going to be the next target. Basically, they had lured you in as a candidate to use you. There would have never been any climbing up the ladder for you. You would have been confined to a laboratory and been the mother of the army; just a source of power, never being risked in a mission. 

If you thought about it, you supposed being under Shinra’s care was preferable to being locked up like a lab rat. You were going to have a room to yourself, eventually have some of your things, and hopefully a small job to go to everyday at the main office. Not what you envisioned for yourself, but ideal considering all the information that had come to light the past week. 

It was a particularly nice day in Edge, and after being cooped up for days in that sterile hospital room it was refreshing to feel the sunshine and breath the fresh air. The drive was shorter than you wanted it to be, so it wasn’t long before you were approaching a fancy building in what seemed like a gated community. 

Reno passed through the gate check as you looked around through the window, impressed by the facility. There was the main building which consisted of the apartments, the parking garage over to the right, and to the left is what you would consider a little park-like area. Benches to sit on, picnic tables, an outside grill, and what looked like a basketball and tennis court. It was definitely big enough to be able to take some walks around, so that was good to mentally note. Considering all the Turks do, a decent living space was in order. Not only did the Turks have their own places here, but quite a few other Shinra employees lived in the building as well. Then there was the top of the building which you were told was Rufus’ penthouse and actually encompassed the top 3 floors. The man loved his privacy that much was certain. 

The parking garage wasn’t far from the building, and it was nice to have a chance to walk outside again. The grounds were expertly taken care of, and you squinted slightly in the sun as you exited the car. You wore a simple pair of jeans, tennis shoes, and a t-shirt, and Reno held the bag that contained about a week’s worth of clothes until they could get someone to your place for your things. You were very thankful for Elena shopping for you. You couldn’t imagine what your current escort would have picked out… 

Inside the lobby, Reno wandered over to the secretary, and leaned casually against the counter. “Hey, babe, I have a favor to ask,” he informed, that charming smile gracing his features. The lady at the desk smiled back, placing her elbows on the table and her head in her hands to look up at the Turk, batting her eyelashes. You, having caught up and arrived at the desk, rolled your eyes. This redhead indeed was something else. 

”I need a spare key made for my new roommate, yo,” he informed and gestured toward you. The woman was just now noticing you, basically giving you the once over as if sizing you up for competition. “Roommate, hmm? Is that what you’re calling all the girl friends now?” she mused, turning and filling out some paperwork for Reno’s request. You’re eyebrows furrowed slightly as your mouth fell open. What the… Did she just call you his girlfriend? But also.... _all the girlfriends?_ He really was a player, huh? 

A light laugh from Reno stopped the not so nice remark you were about to say and you glanced over with a raised brow, catching a wink on his part. “Naah, she’s really just a roommate. She’s too dangerous for me, yo. Tried something once and caught hell for it,” he mused, and you rolled your eyes. This man… How were you going to survive living in the same apartment as him? 

”Key should be ready in a few days,” the lady said, another of your retorts getting cut off again. “I’ll have it delivered when it’s ready,” she informed, and Reno nodded, grabbing your hand and heading in another direction, keeping you upright despite your slight stumble. “Maybe roommate should be the new lingo… I could get lucky!” Reno said over his shoulder at the secretary, and you could feel your face flush. “Oh my- You’re horrible!” you hissed at him, gripping the little stuffed bear that Elena had given you as a ‘get well’ and ‘I’m sorry’ present. She didn’t approve of you living with the devilish and lazy Turk, but his apartment location did make for the best spot, and no one else had any spare rooms. 

You were acutely aware of how his hand enveloped yours and how warm it was. Things had been different that night at the club. You had been on a mission, a single mindset. It had been fun playing the part, of course, to flirt and lead him along all while knowing you would never have to see him again. The situation had changed and now here you were moving in with the man. How fucked up was that? 

It wasn’t until you were in the glass elevator that he let go of your hand, despite your tugs prior to, and he gave a thumbs up to the secretary who was shaking her head. “Look,” Reno said as the elevator began to move up, voice soft as he suddenly pulled you over. You had been thinking about giving him a piece of your mind about the implications he gave the secretary but your feet moved and suddenly you were against him, eyes following his hand as he pointed out the elevator. “Look at that view. Isn’t it something?” he asked, and you were already taking it in. Being in the city, it wasn’t often you got to see nature in all of its glory. It was so unusual to see all of the colors. Greens and golds, patches of red and yellow. The world was doing a slow and steady job of fixing itself and it was always amazing to see. 

”That’s beautiful…” you breathed, hand reaching out to gingerly touch the window. Your poor bear had been dropped and forgotten in the shuffle. You should have suspected a view like this just from the bit you saw from the car to the building. All of that on the other side, though… You wondered if you’d be allowed out there to pick flowers. That’s something you hadn’t done since… The last visit to your “father’s” grave. “It makes the elevator ride seem shorter,” Reno informed as you heard the familiar ding and then the sound of the doors opening. Although you could have stared at the field for hours, the ride ended just in time, interrupting the dark path your thoughts had been heading down. You backed away from the window as the Turk’s arm slipped from around you and out of the corner of your eye you saw him bend down and steal the bear you had so carelessly dropped. “Like a kid, leaving a new present on the floor,” he teased, heading out into the hall. 

“Hey, give that back!” you said, quickly following after him, “It’s my protection against you, according to Elena.” You reached out for the bear, but he kept it out of your grasp. He stopped at door 705 and held the bear up higher as he inserted the key, unlocked the door, and swung it open. 

”Protection, huh?” he asked, and you nodded, trying to jump up and reach it. 

“Elena said if all the space was gone in my bed,” you paused, jumping for the bear but still unable to reach it, “then you wouldn’t be able to worm your way in.” You gave up at that point, because he most certainly had the height advantage here 

Reno let out a laugh as his head tilted back, obviously amused at that statement. His coworker knew him well. “As if a measly little bear could keep me from what I wanted…” he mused, sending a wink your way. You scoffed and rolled your eyes yet again as you finally snatched the bear away, hugging it tightly. 

You both had bypassed the entryway, and were in the living room. It was then you got a chance to look around. The walls were quite bare, but there was a nice big television with a comfortable looking black leather couch, loveseat, and recliner set up around it. Other than that, the walls were move-in white and there were no pictures or decorations anywhere. “This… Is the definition of a bachelor’s apartment…” you observed aloud. The layout of the apartment was an open concept, and towards the back was the kitchen. It had a little breakfast bar, which thankfully hid the sink full of dishes you happened upon as you peaked around. “Typical,” you murmured as Reno moved past you and towards a hallway, motioning for you to follow. You complied, and he stopped at the first door, opening it. 

”This will be your room,” he said as he stepped inside and set down the bag containing your clothes. You peaked in from the hallway, satisfied with what you saw. It was a nice sized room with a full-size bed and its own bathroom. Once again, though, bare walls. Something was going to have to be done with all these bare white walls… 

”My room is at the end,” he said as he stepped back out into the hall and pointed to the obvious door, and then at the other, “and that’s the spare bathroom.” 

”You know… This place is bare as hell. How long have you been living here? A few weeks?” you questioned, legitimately curious. Reno shrugged, mouth twitching as he thought about it. “In this suite? A few years,” he responded and you blanched. Years?! “You should let me paint,” was your blunt reply, eliciting another one of those smooth laughs from your new roommate. “I’m a Turk, not an interior decorator. Also, as someone who drugged me I’m not sure I can trust you and your judgement,” he teased, easily moving around you before you could lash out at him. The devil… 

With a heavy sigh you tossed your bear into the room and onto the bed before following him. “But it’s so bare and boring…” you informed, taking another look around the place. It made it so... drab. It didn’t feel like a home at all. 

”I know, yo… I’m gone more often than not, so I never cared to do anything…” he countered, and you frowned. 

”I’m guessing you care, though, so… I’ll give you a budget and let you paint,” the Turk caved, flopping down onto the couch. Your eyebrows shot up in surprise as you moved to claim the loveseat. “I… Thank you….” you said, slightly at a loss for words. You had been ready for a fight, honestly. 

A heavy sigh from Reno caught your attention though, and you glanced his way. “Rude and I have to go on a mission tomorrow. We’ll be gone for about two weeks, I think. You can decorate then. Rufus said you can’t leave the building, though. Elena will come to visit when she’s not working, but other than that you have free run of the place, alright?” 

You felt the tug of a frown at the corners of your lips. You were going to be left alone already? “Alright,” you said with a nod. “You weren’t kidding when you said you were never here, huh?” you added as an afterthought. “You don’t know the half of it, babe,” He responded as he grabbed the remote to the television. You shook your head at the pet name before standing. “My head is starting to hurt. I think I’m going to go rest a bit,” you informed him, pushing some hair behind your ear. 

”You sure?” he questioned, and you nodded. “I’d like to avoid any more medicine. It’s starting to mess with my stomach,” you replied, heading for your new, unfamiliar room. Hand on the doorknob you stopped, leaning back to look at the red head, giving a small smile, “Thank you, by the way. For letting me stay here.” You didn’t wait for a response, quickly slipping inside the room. Leaning against the door you looked around. It was just the basics; bed, night stand, dresser, and a currently empty television stand. It all looked newly purchased and assembled as well. With a sigh you pushed away, grabbing the stuffed animal bear from your bed and curling up with it. At least the bed was comfortable right? And despite the Turk being a flirt at least he was someone. As much as you dreaded coming here to this new “home”, you were actually quite tired of being alone, so having a roommate was a bit exciting. Seemed like you’d have to adjust to that later, seeing as he was leaving in the morning. What could be done? You were half tenant and half prisoner now. It was time to just go with the flow and see where it leads you. 

Meanwhile out in the living room, the red head was frowning. He had noticed the change in your attitude, but it wasn’t his place to press you about it. Everyone needed some alone time, right?


	6. Such a Letdown...

Reno left the next morning before you even had a chance to stumble out of bed. The hospital room hadn’t provided you with the best sleep ever, and the bed here was so comfortable that you slept deeper and longer than you had in a while. After a quick brush through your hair and teeth, you walked out into the kitchen to a note on the table that read:   


___(y/n)__,  
Had to leave early. Will be home in 2 weeks. Elena will be around to check on you every now and then. I’ll call later.  
See ya then  
Reno_

  
You sighed as you set the letter back down, moving into the kitchen to get a bite to eat. You sat at the little breakfast bar in silence, mind reflecting on where you had been and where you are now… It was all strange and unwarranted, but in a way, you were… Excited? It was like a new start and a chance to mold your life to your liking (as much as Shinra allowed, anyway). It’s not like life since geostigma had been anything fantastic. It had all completely and utterly fell apart when you got sick and you couldn’t honestly say you ever put it back together. Getting into that stupid organization had been something at least. It had been the one thing you had to hope and hold on to. It had been your only goal, as sad as that sounds, and now you were here with a clean slate. It honestly wasn’t the worst that could’ve happened to you.

There was no sense in moping around and wishing for things to return to normal. This was the new normal, and it was time to get to work. First step was to make this place a home. Washing up your dishes (and thankful that Reno had cleaned up the dirty pile from the day before) you disappeared to your room and got dressed before setting your plans into motion for the day. Had to call to get those paints since Reno _did_ give you permission to do as you pleased…  
  
  
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The two weeks you had alone were pretty uneventful. When Elena was free, she came to check on you and sometimes you went to her apartment for dinner, which was nice. She was a pleasant woman and at least it was some company. Your key for Reno’s place was delivered as well, but it wasn’t like you could go out anywhere. Elena had confirmed that the organization you had been in was on the hunt. Your house had been raided for any clues to your whereabouts. Thankfully they still weren’t sure yet. The fact that they were searching this hard… it made you wonder if you had gotten into that place by your skills, or because of who (or what) you are. It was a little disheartening, to say the least, but something you refused to dwell on. Most of your days had been spent painting, which passed the time extremely well, and also allowed you to blast your music of choice while you worked. 

You sighed, leaning back against the kitchen counter. The apartment looked great now. The walls in the living room were a light gray with white trim and a few black and white pictures adorned the walls now. The black leather furniture that the Turk already owned made the living room complete along with the glass coffee table and a few end tables. Since it was so open the kitchen and dining area was painted the same shade of gray with white trim, and all the dishes were clean. The main bathroom was now a light green with matching mats and your own room a beige with some gold and wrought iron roses on the wall. You took the liberty to buy yourself an appropriately sized TV for your room, some new sheets, a duvet, and a cute lamp. Of course, after discovering the red silk sheets on Reno’s bed, you just had to paint the accent wall red and the rest the same gray as the living room. How could you not?! 

You once again had Elena and Tseng to thank for all this. Being under house arrest and all, it’s not like you could go out and get it. It was pretty much circle everything in the magazine and have Elena find it at the store. She did a pretty damn good job, too, especially when what you wanted wasn’t available. 

You snapped out of your thoughts, stirring the pasta you had cooking. Reno had called earlier that day saying he would be home that evening around seven, and since you had made such a dent in his wallet you wanted to make it up to him. Besides, it felt nice to cook for someone other than yourself. Chicken alfredo, with some fancy bread you had Elena get you, and a salad mix. You finished everything up with just a few minutes to spare before seven so you changed into something besides your pajamas. Just jeans and a not too dressy shirt, and then you went out into the living room to wait. 

The wait… Was getting long, and honestly, you were getting quite annoyed and sleepy. You had finished dinner two hours ago and the redhead _still_ wasn’t home. What the hell?! You had gone out of your way to make such an awesome meal, and he wasn’t even home on time. He could have at least called, right? Or did that mean something went wrong? You flipped through the channels with a mixture of anger and worry, only watching snippets of things for another hour before deciding to just go to bed. He was going to get an earful in the morning… As long as he was home. You would feel terrible if your anger was misplaced and something _had_ gone wrong. If so, wouldn’t Elena know and inform you? 

You disappeared to your room, getting ready for bed. Lying in bed you stared at the dark TV that now sat on the other side of the room, but had no interest in watching it. Sleep didn’t come easy as your mind buzzed with what could be going on, all the while reminding yourself you didn’t really care what the Turk did (even though you knew that was a lie). Eventually your eyes closed with still no sign of the Turk.  
  
  
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It was a slam of the door that woke you up with a start. You sat straight up in bed as your chest constricted in fear. A glance at the clock revealed it was 4 a.m.… What was going on? There was a soft thud that must have been against the wall, followed by another loud thud and a crash. Fuck! How could it be an intruder?! Pushing the covers back you quickly got out of bed, feet sliding into the slippers on the floor. You had absolutely _nothing_ in here that could be a weapon. You carefully walked to the door and pressed your ear against it. You heard voices in the living room, and frowned. One did sound like Reno, which was a relief but the other? You opened the door without making a sound, slipping out into the hallway. 

”Shh, shh… Don’t be so loud, yo…” That was definitely the redhead, followed by a bubbly laugh and a loud, “It’s fiiiiine, darling!”. Your hand moved along the wall, searching for the light switch and flipped it on once found. Everyone froze and there was a gasp as the room suddenly lit up. 

It was… a typical Reno act, right? A late-night return home, cheeks red from drinking, a beautiful, giggling woman pinned against the wall with the same tint in her cheeks, and him all over her. The noises had been a table that was knocked over, and a now shattered lamp. Your voice was caught in your throat as you scanned the scene. Reno had stood up straight at that point, looking back at you with a slight frown on his lips. You met his eyes briefly, narrowing them as you looked away. “Sorry, the door woke me. I thought it was…” your tone was clipped as you trailed off, shaking your head. He didn’t need an explanation. He didn’t need to know your fear. He didn’t need to know the worry that had ate at your stomach all evening. He didn’t care so he didn’t need to know. You excused yourself and quickly disappeared back into your room. 

Your chest burned with what you knew was jealousy, but why? You barely knew this man and yet… You had been excited that he was coming home. You were proud of the work you had done on the apartment and were ready to show it off and impress him, and top it all off with a nice, small dinner. You shouldn’t have gotten your hopes up, though. What were you hoping for, to pick up where you left off at the club? Deep down you knew that was the truth. You hadn’t put yourself out there since your fiancé had left you over five years ago. Even though it had been an assignment, you had had more fun with Reno at that club than you wanted to admit. The attention had been nice, the feel of his hands on you had been nice, and so... You stopped your thoughts right there. You knew his ways; you knew this was a likely thing to see, but still. “I’m so stupid,” you whispered as you discarded your slippers and climbed back into bed. Curling up under the covers you willed sleep to come back… Anything to forget what you just saw.  
  
  
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Back in the living room, Reno cursed under his breath. “Mmm, what’s wrong? Who was she?” the woman asked, giggling softly as she stroked his cheek, hand moving to the collar of his shirt to pull him back in for a kiss. The Turk shook his head, effortlessly removing her hand from his shirt and backing away. “My-- Just my roommate. But, I, uh… I need you to go…” he mumbled, ushering her out the door. “What?! But we… Hey!” she protested as she was just shuffled out and the door closed in her face. There was some pounding on the door followed by some yelling that Reno didn’t even pay attention to, running his hands through his hair. Leaning against the wall and rubbing his temples, the Turk finally glanced around the place and was taken aback. You really did paint the place. It was almost unrecognizable. He actually liked it, to be honest. The pictures you had hung were a nice touch, and… Shit, the table and lamp he had knocked over. Guilt was starting to creep up his spine as he set the table upright, moving over to the closet by the kitchen to grab the broom. It was then he stopped, eyes catching the table. 

Talk about a nail in the coffin. 

”Fuck,” he growled, walking over to take a closer look. It was home cooked that’s for sure, and it was all set out so nicely. What had he done in return? Said he was going to be home at seven, forgot, went out drinking and then picked up some whore… 

”Damnit…” he said aloud, pushing away from the table as a hand went to his hip, the other running down his face. So, obviously, he wasn’t great at this whole having a roommate thing. Old habits die hard, but from this point forward no more bringing women home (holy shit that was going to be hard to do). He went ahead and cleaned up the broken lamp, followed by the food on the table before heading to bed. He glanced at the other rooms as he passed; noticing how well you had chosen the colors and decorations. 

The self-loathing hit him like a brick wall as he entered his own room. It suited him to a T. The red accent wall really brought the room together. She had tidied up as well; the corner of his room by the dresser sported a brand-new laundry basket that he would not have even known was one had there not been clothes peeking out from under the lid. Sighing, he headed for the shower. Talk about feeling like a complete douchebag. The two weeks had flown by for Rude and him, but you had been here alone, confined to the apartment, not allowed visitors or the right to leave. It must have dragged, and he had gone and abandoned you at the last moment. 

He wasn’t sure there was any way he could redeem himself after this…


End file.
